Suction cleaner



Oct. 22, 1935. B. c. BECKER 7 SUCTION CLEANER Filed April 22, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1935. B. c. BECKER SUCTIONCLEANER Filed April 22,1935

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bernard CBecfi'er 4 3; V

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES SUCTION CLEANER Bernard 0.Becker, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton,Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 22, 1933, Serial No. 667,376

8 Claims. (Cl. 240-2) The present invention relates to suction cleanersin general, and more particularly to floor illuminating means forsuction cleaners.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a new and novelfloor illuminator for a suction cleaner. A further object is theprovision, in a suction cleaner, of a detachable headlight. Stillanother object is the provision, in a suction cleaner, of a combinationheadlight and converter plate which can be removed from the cleaner whenit is desired to use dusting tools therewith and which can be suppliedas an accessory for a suction cleaner. These and other more specificobjects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims,and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings towhich they relate.

In the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present inventionare disclosed:

Figure 1 is a side view, partially in cross sec-- tion, showing thepresent invention embodied therein;

Figure 2 is a top view of the detachable floor illuminator looking inthe direction of the arrows 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section upon the line 3-3 of Figure-2;

Figure 4 is a section upon the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section upon the line 55 of Figure Figure 6 is a sectionupon the line 6-8 of Figure Figure '7 is a section upon the line li ofFigure 4;

Figure 8 is a section upon the line 8-8 of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is a partial front view of the cleaner nozzle showing the seatfor the detachable lamp;

4 Figure 10 is a section upon the line i0i0 of the embodiment of theinvention shown in Figure 11;

Figure 11 is a rear view of an embodiment of the removableheadlight-cover plate which includes a switch;

Figure 12 is a'side view of a suction cleaner embodying a secondmodification of the invention, a section being shown through the cleanernozzle;

Figure 13 is a top view of the headlight per so, being a View in thedirection of the arrows upon the line |3-i3 of Figure i2;

Figure 14 is a rear view of the lamp socket being taken upon the line"-44 of Figure 15;

65 Figure 15 is a side view of the headlight and socket removed from thecasing of the cleaner headlight;

Figure 16 is a section upon the line Iii-l6 of Figure 14;

Figure 17 is a section upon the line l|--l'| of 5 ure 12;

Figure 18 is a partial front view of the cleaner nozzle shown in Figure12 with the headlight removed from its seat.

Referring to the drawings, and Figures 1 to 9 10 inclusive inparticular, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosedembodied in a suction cleaner of a common and well known type. Thecleaner includes a surface-contacting nozzle l interiorly connectedthrough an inlet 2 16 to the fan chamber 3 which houses a rotatingsuction-creating fan 3a driven by an unshown motorwithin the motorcasing 4. Front wheels, one of which is indicated by the referencecharacter 5, and rear wheels, one of which is indi- 20 cated by thereference character 6, provide means which support the cleaner formovement upon the surface covering undergoing cleaning. A pivoted handle7 is provided which extends upwardly from the body of the cleaner andpro- 25 vides means through which the operator can exert a ropellingforce.

As in the usual suction cleaners of this type the front wall of nozzle Iis provided with an opening 8 through which a dusting tool converter 30can be inserted to seat in the fan chamber inlet 2 for the purpose ofmaking effective the cleaner suction at a distant point in the dustingtool hose which is carried by the converter member. In the ordinarysuction cleaner this converter-35 opening 8 is closed by a removablecover plate when the machine is used in on-the-floor operation. In asuction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention theusual cover plate is replaced by a removable headlight do which includesa reflector casing and lightcreating means, the casing being so formerthat it also performs the function of the usual cover plate. In thedrawings, and in Figures 1 and 2 in particular, it is seen that thereflector casing 45 comprises an elliptical top wall, indicated by thereference character 9, and an integral bottom wall ll] of which extendsacross the bottom of the cup-shaped member 9 and is itself shaped so asto cooperate with the member 9 to form a 50 reflector. Members 9 and I0may be secured together in any suitable manner. At the upper end of thereflector casing formed by members 9 and I0 contacting bodies II and I2'of insulatiiig material are secured to the. bottom plate III by meansof screws and nuts I3, I8, asis clearly indicated in Figure 3. Spacedrecesses at the forward ends of blocks II and I2 cooperate to form arecess adapted to receive and seat an electric light bulb, contact I4and seat member I! being electrically connected through conductors I6,ii to prongs l1, II which extend downwardly through the body II at theupper end of the reflector-cover, as is clearly illustrated in Figures 1and 5. At its upper and lower ends the bottom plate It is provided withsprings I8, l8 which are adapted, when the headlight unit is in positionon the cleaner, to extend under the front wall of the nozzle I and tocooperate in securing the headlight in place.

Positioned above the converter opening 8 in the front wall of the nozzleI is an opening I9 which connects the exterior of the machine with adead space, a term applied to a hidden unused space in a machine, whichis formed within the cleaner casing between the front wall 28 of the fanchamber and the casing wall. Contact seats 2|, 2i are positionedimmediately below the opening I9 and in this dead space, being carriedby a divided insulating body 22 which is itself secured to the fanchamber wall 29. Leads 23, 23 extend around the inlet 2 of the fanchamber and to the bottom of the casing at which point they pass throughthe wall of the inlet casing, around the side of the fan chamber 3 wherethey are secured by a suitable spring clip 24, and on to the motor wheresuitable connection is made to the incoming power brought to the motorby lead 25.

In a cleaner constructed in accordance with this embodiment of theinvention with an electric lamp bulb 26 seated within the seat I5 and incontact with contact I4, electric current is conveyed thereto by way ofthe contacts l1, l1 and 2|, 2 I, from the current-carrying means 23. Thecooperating walls 9 and I are: so shaped that the light generated by thelamp 28 is thrown down-' wardly ahead of and across the nozzle I andilluminates that portion of the covering immediately ahead thereof sothat the user of the machine can accurately determine the presence orabsence of foreign matter upon the surface covering. To protect articlesof furniture from contac with the front edge of the wall 9 "a guardofresilient material such as rubber, indicated by the referencecharacter 21, incloses the edge thereof as is clearly seen in Figures 1and 2.

Referring now to Figures 10 and 11 in particular a second embodiment ofthe removable head-- light-cover is shown quite similar to thatabovedescribed with the exception that the upper end of the wall 9 ofthe headlight is recessed, as at '30, to provide a protected space forthe actuating lever 3i of a suitable switch 32 which is itselfpositioned in the headlight closely adjacent to the seat of theheadlight bulb. In the present embodiment the seat for the lamp bulb 26is carried entirely by the lower insulating body II, the upperinsulating body being eliminated. In other respects this embodiment isquite similar to that aforedescribed.

Referring now to Figures 12 to 18, inclusive, a

third embodiment of the present invention is disclosedin which theheadlight-cover plate is so constructed that it can be embodied in asuction cleaner not originally designed therefor. In this constructionthe cleaner nozzle is again indicated by the reference character I, thefan chamber by the reference character 3, the inlet by the referencecharacter 2, it being noted that in this emnorms? bodiment there is nodead space surrounding the inlet 2, there being a suction-creating fan3a within the fan chamber as in the flrst embodiment. The remainingparts of the cleaner are identical with those described in connectionwith the first embodiment. In this construction the coverheadlight againcomprises a convex top wall which is indicated by the referencecharacter 40, and the front edge thereof is again protected by aresilient furniture guard, indicated by the reference character 4|. Abottom plate 42 is also provided which covers the top plate 40 andcooperates therewith to provide the reflector unit. Plate 42 is providedwith spaced securin springs 43, 43 at its upper and lower edges whichare adapted to underlie the front wall of the nozzle, as in the firstembodiment, to secure the light in place. In this embodiment aninsulating body 44 is secured at the upper end of the reflector unit bymeans of screws 45, 45, being interiorly provided with a socket for theheadlight bulb 2B, and with contacts 46, 46 which make electricalcontact through suitable connections with the incoming leads 48, 4Bwhich enter the reflector casing through an opening 41 at the rear endthereof. As the leads 48, 48 extend rearwardly around the fan chamberand are adapted to be suitably connected to a source of electrical powerexterior of the cleaner motor it is possible to attach the headlight ina machine which was not originally designed therefor.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle and a fan chamber,said nozzle having an opening in one of its walls to permit access tothe ing said bulb relative to said reflector, and ouriefig-carryingmeans conveying electricity to said 2. In a suction cleaner, a bodyincluding a nozzle and a fan chamber, said nozzle having an opening inone of its walls opposite the inlet of said fan chamber to permit theinsertion of a dusting tool converter into said inlet, a plate clos- 5ing said opening in said nozzle, means removably securing said plate inposition, a wall positioned over said plate and cooperating therewith toform a reflector having a forwardly facing opening, a lamp socketrigidly mounted on said reflector, a 5 lamp bulb seated in said socket,and currentcarrying means to convey electricity to said socket.

3. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozale and a fan chamber,said nozzle having an opening in its front wall opposite the inlet of gosaid fan chamber to permit the insertion -of a dusting tool convertertherethru into said inlet,

a removable closure for said opening, a lamp socket carried by saidclosure, a lamp bulb carried by said socket, a protecting wall overlying5 said bulb and spaced above said closure, a resilient guard membercarried by said wall to protect foreign objects and to reduce shockstransmitted to said bulb, and current-carrying means connected to saidsocket and extending therefrom.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle and a fan chamber,said nozzle having an opening in one of its walls to permit access tothe interior thereof, electrical contacts carried by said body below thesurface thereof and close- 1y adjacent said opening, electricalconducting means connecting said contacts to a source of electricity, aheadlight unit removably-secured over said opening including a platesealing same, a lamp socket, a lamp in said socket, a protecting platefor said lamp, and current-carrying contacts connected to said socketremovably contacting said first-mentioned contacts.

5. An accessory for a suction cleaner of the type having an opening forinsertion of a dusting tool converter in its nozzle, comprising aheadlight unit including. removable means to seal and close saidopening, a lamp socket, a lamp in said socket, a protector for said lampsuperimposed on said closing means and extended forward and above saidlamp, and current-carrying means connected to said socket and adapted tobe connected to a course of electricity.

6. An accessory for a suction cleaner of the type having an opening forinsertion of a dusting tool converter in its nozzle comprising aheadlight unit including removable means to close said opening, means tosecure removably said unit in place, a lamp socket mounted on saidclosing means, a lamp in said socket, a protecting wall on said closingmeans overlying said lamp, a

resilientguard on said wall, and current-carrying contacts connected tosaid socket and adapted to contact current-carrying means upon a suctioncleaner to convey electricity to said socket.

7. In a suction cleaner, a body including a noz- 5 zle and a fanchamber, said nozzle having an opening in one of its walls to permitaccess to the interior thereof, a headlight unit removably mounted onsaid nozzle and including sealing means to engage and close saidopening, said unit 10 including a detachable lamp, an electricalconducting means to connect said lamp to a source of current in saidcleaner.

8. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle and a fan chamber,said nozzle having an 15 opening. in one of its walls opposite the inletof said fan chamber to permit the insertion of a dusting tool converterinto said inlet, a headlight unit removably mounted on said nozzle andincluding sealing means to engage and close 20 said opening,said unitincluding a detachable lamp and electrical contacts, and cooperatingcontacts on said cleaner connected to a source of electric current andadapted to connect to said contacts on said unit. 2

' BERNARD C. BECKER.

